Police release sketch of suspect in North Delta indecent act

Delta police have released a composite sketch of a man alleged to have committed an indecent act in North Delta Community Park in late January.

Police issued a warning to the public in early February after a woman, who was sitting with her young daughter watching another child’s soccer practice, was approached by a man at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31. The man — described as as South Asian, approximately 30 years old, with a slim build, black hair and wearing a red hoodie — then began to mastubate from the other side of a chain link fence. The man ran off after the woman yelled out to alert people nearby.

The woman did not have a cellphone on her, causing an approximately two-hour delay before police were notified. Once called, police attended and patrolled the area, but did not find anyone matching the description of the suspect.

Since that time, police have taken a number of investigative steps and are now going back to the public with a sketch of the suspect.

“Anyone who recognizes the individual based on this sketch, or who thinks they may have more information for police, is asked to contact the Delta Police Department sex crimes unit at 604-946-4411 and cite file 20-5528,” DPD public affairs manager Cris Leykauf said in a press release.

Police note that they cannot confirm at this time whether this suspect is the one linked to a similar instance where a teenage girl had encountered a man masturbating in the park area adjacent to the George Mackie Library in the afternoon of Jan. 23.

The incident follows a similar occurrence on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 23, when a teenage girl came across a man with a similar description masturbating in the park area adjacent to the George Mackie Library. There was also a delay before that incident was reported to police, and extensive patrols failed to locate anyone matching the description of the suspect.